A Brief Interlude
by HPIsHowIRoll
Summary: ...But all that was nothing compared to the realization of one man that blood does not matter as long as the heart pumping it is pure... A set of drabblish prequels to Hers Was Everything. DMHG
1. Evil Pureblood Extraordinaire

_Author's Note: The following is the first chapter in a short series of drabblish prequels to "Hers Was Everything" . It will be completed by Monday, April 9, and will consist of 5-10 (depending on inspiration and reader idea contribution) drabble length snippets of the goings on before Draco's fateful decision. Ideas are not only welcomed, but encouraged. This first chapter explains how Draco turned from the Dark Lord, thus eventually leading him to Hermione. Enjoy. :)_

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**Draco Malfoy, Evil Pureblood Extraordinare**

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The date? March 14. The hour? 3 am. Draco Malfoy had been asked to survey a blank area between two houses in an attempt to witness the comings and goings of some Order members. He was given menial tasks such as these ever since his first failing of the Dark Lord. Usually, he would have been outraged at the common treatment he was receiving, but since he wasn't required to kill anyone, his ego got over it. He wasn't dead and neither was anyone else, by his hand at least, and that was all that mattered. It seemed funny to him, though, that Voldemort had never once questioned his loyalty, regardless of his reluctance to murder, one of said master's favorite pastimes.

Sitting and staring was a very boring job. Draco was beginning to think that he was sent there simply to be out of everyone else's hair. Maybe they didn't even have any clue leading them to believe that the Order was located here, as they had told him. It was quite probable; he was generally an annoying git, even more so since he realized that killing just wasn't for him. The greatest downfall of his mission was that it allowed him time to think. At first, he tried to just sit and stare. Then, he tried to remember potions directions and recite them to himself. Eventually, he gave in and started to think. And that was the beginning of the downfall of Draco Malfoy, evil pureblood extraordinaire.

Once one got to thinking about it, Voldemort's plan for world domination really didn't make any sense. He claimed to hate mudbloods and muggles, but he killed the purebloods who didn't agree with him as well. He killed anyone who got in his way, really. And this is what Draco was thinking about when he finally spied someone from the Order… and it was none other than the famous Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived. Draco hastened to apparate back to his master, proud he finally did something right, until all at once his resolve melted away. What was he doing? In a burst of conscience, insanity, and all around Gryffindorness, Draco marched forward and tapped Harry Potter on the shoulder.


	2. Everything Has A Beginning

Author's Note: Don't own. Woot.

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"Old habits die hard, Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed, his face turning beet red and his hair nearly standing on end. His finger was pointed accusingly at one Draco Malfoy, recent inductee of the Order of the Phoenix and former Death Eater. It had just been suggested that perhaps someone was leaking information to Voldemort. Guess who the first suspect was?

In a manner wholly unlike himself, Draco merely sat at the table looking downward, feeling all of the condemning eyes upon him. Though it seemed the Boy-Who-Lived believed in his change of heart, not many others did. It was sad, really, because after being _good_ for a while, he found himself actually starting to like it, and still here all these people were, convicting him in their own minds (or in Ron's case, loudly and in public). He knew that no one particularly cared for him, but at least they could have a little faith in him. Isn't that what the light side was all about? Unfortunately for him, the Order had suffered their greatest loss so far (ie Dumbledore) via the hand of a traitor, and it certainly did not work in his favor that he was supposed to be the murderer in the first place.

That being said, back to the matter at hand. Still Ron stood with his face and hair clashing, accusing Draco of feeding information to the Dark Lord. It occurred to him that perhaps he should speak in his own defense, since no one else seemed ready to jump up and proclaim him innocent. He remained silent as the Order members began talking amongst themselves, trying to decide if it could indeed be Draco. The voices became louder and louder until all of a sudden a fist banged on the table.

It was at that moment that Draco first really looked at Hermione. Her hair was wildly frizzy, running in rampant waves down her back. She wore loose fitting jeans and a t-shirt and her large brown eyes were blazing in fury as she stood up and addressed the crowd, "Malfoy DID NOT do this! Can't you tell? Can't you all tell he's changed?"

The Gettysburg Address, 'I Have A Dream'… there are many speeches that have changed the course of the world as we know it. They are usually eloquent and detailed, but sometimes the best way of getting a point across is the simplest, and that was exactly what Hermione did. Ears that had heard the last cries of the agony of death heard Hermione's words and changed their minds. Mouths that had spoken only condemnation gaped at her simplistic truth. Eyes that had become jaded by war saw Draco Malfoy in a new light.

But all that was nothing compared to the realization of one man that blood does not matter as long as the heart pumping it is pure. He had known her for many years previous, but until that day, he had not really known her at all. This could be one of those love stories where I tell you they lived happily ever after with no bumps in the road, but they didn't. They didn't all of a sudden fall in love and marry and have lots of babies, because love doesn't work that way. It took time for love to grow, and before that even more time for friendship. But everything has a beginning, and this was it for Hermione and Draco.


End file.
